Kevin Costner Forced To Back Out Of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained

In July it was reported that Kevin Costner had joined the cast of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. While Costner has always been known to play the good guy, the role would have had him exploring new territory as Ace Woody, a sadistic asshole who trains slaves to fight. Sadly it seems that it was not meant to be.

Variety reporter Justin Kroll sent out a Tweet earlier tonight reporting that Costner will no longer be starring in Tarantino's new film. While details are slim - there is a 140 character limit, after all - Kroll says that the reason behind the move is scheduling conflicts. The movie is set to star Jaimie Foxx as the titular Django, a slave who manages to escape from his evil owner, a man named Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). After making his getaway, Django teams up with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) who agrees to help Django go back to the plantation and rescue his wife. The project also stars Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen, a house slave loyal to Candie, and Gerald McRaney, in an unspecified role. Production is scheduled to begin in November and the Weinstein Company has announced that the movie will be released on December 25, 2012.

It's a shame that Costner isn't doing this project. He has previously shown a taste for westerns (see: Wyatt Earp and Open Range) and it would have been nice to see him stretch himself as a performer. The actor does have a full upcoming slate at the moment, but it would have been great to see what Tarantino could do with him. So if Costner is no longer available, who would you like to see play the role of Ace Woody? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.